Sponsored Results for Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Founded by three Norwegian shipping companies in 1969 as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, this company is one of two affiliates of Royal Caribbean Cruises, the second-largest cruise operator in the world. The line's first newbuild, Song of Norway, entered service in 1970, and today, RCI operates a fleet of modern super- and megaliners including the largest passenger ship afloat, the Freedom of the Seas. Royal Caribbean's signature Viking Crown Lounge is a familiar sight in almost all parts of the world, and the company has a strong presence not only in the Caribbean, but also in Europe, Alaska, and other "exotic" destinations. The company's Voyager class and Radiance class ships are in a league all their own and as a result, Royal Caribbean consistently wins honors as the best mass-market cruise line. The new Freedom class ships will be the largest cruise ships ever.

Holland America Cruise Line

Launched in the 1870s when the original Rotterdam made its inaugural trans-Atlantic crossing from Rotterdam to New York, the Holland America Line as it is known today is one of the oldest companies in the passenger shipping business. A major player in Alaska through its subsidiary Westours, HAL was acquired by Carnival Corporation in 1989. Up to now, the company has offered its premium cruises on mid-sized ships, but as part of an ambitious newbuilding program five new 84,000 gt superliners will enter service with Holland America until 2006.

Princess Cruise Line

Launched in 1965 with a single ship, the chartered Princess Patricia, Princess Cruises was acquired by the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) in 1974. In 1975 the company's Pacific Princess became the star of the world-famous TV series, "The Love Boat", making her one of the best-known cruise ships in the world. In 1988 Sitmar Cruises was taken over, adding four additional ships to the fleet. P&O's cruise division was demerged from the mother company in 2000 and is now named P&O Princess Cruises. In 2003, Princess was acquired by Carnival Corporation and will be operated as a separate brand within Carnival. With five new ships on order and two former Renaissance Cruises vessels about to join the fleet, Princess will further expand its popular "Personal Choice Cruising" experience.

Island Cruises Cruise Line

A joint-venture between Royal Caribbean International and Britain's First Choice Holidays, Island Cruises was established in early 2002. The company's single ship, Island Escape, offers Mediterranean cruises during the summer months and Baja California cruises during the winter season.

Star Clipper Cruise Line

Star Clippers was established by Swedish entrepreneur Mikael Krafft in 1991. The company's first two sailing vessels, Star Flyer and Star Clipper, filled the niche between Windstar's high-tech sail cruisers and Windjammer's very traditional and casual sailing experience. In 2000, the spectacular Royal Clipper debuted. The largest traditional sailing vessel ever built, the Royal Clipper has been modeled after the legendary German tall ship, the Preussen. Star Clippers offers a casual, yet elegant true sailing experience and enjoys a high rate of repeat cruisers.